The Horizon Europe project, Eurasian Network for Collaborative Research on Tree-Root-Mycorrhizal-Pathogen Interactions in Forest Soils (EuAsiaN-ROOT), coordinated by the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, aims to provide a deeper understanding of forests by uncovering the relationships between tree roots, symbiotic and saprotrophic fungi, and soil pathogens across diverse ecosystems in Europe and Asia. By studying forests in tropical Thailand, temperate zones of Europe and Kazakhstan, and in the Mongolian Taiga, researchers aim to show how underground networks sustain forest health, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling—critical elements in the fight against climate change.
In forest soils, a complex web of fine roots, together with mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal communities, work jointly to sustain the ecosystem. EuAsiaN-ROOT will analyse these underground interactions along an extensive climatic and ecological gradient—from humid tropical forests to cold continental woodlands.
“By studying forests across Eurasia, we can better understand how soil fungi, tree roots, and pathogens interact and influence carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. This will allow us to make informed forest conservation and management decisions,” says Professor Douglas L. Godbold, project coordinator.
A key scientific goal of EuAsiaN-ROOT is to investigate the role of mycorrhizal fungi in carbon storage. These fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with tree roots, play a crucial role in nutrient absorption and soil carbon dynamics. Understanding these interactions is vital for enhancing forests’ capacity to act as carbon sinks, thereby supporting global climate mitigation efforts.
Another crucial focus of the project is the influence of soil pathogens on forest composition and health. Harmful pathogens can accelerate tree mortality, but recent evidence suggests mycorrhizal fungi protect trees against such pathogens. By mapping these microbial interactions, the project aims to identify natural mechanisms for enhancing forest resilience against disease.
The study utilises state-of-the-art tools, including methods to manipulate the mycorrhizal communities, and advanced DNA sequencing techniques to explore mycorrhizal, saprotrophic and pathogenic fungal diversity across various forest types. The manipulation techniques reduce sugar supply to the mycorrhizal fungi.
This approach is also strengthened by applied research into post-disturbance forest management, conducted in parallel with activities at the University Forest Enterprise. The established plots are used to investigate the ecological effects of storm disturbances on soil fungal communities. The disturbance is a real-life example of the fungal manipulation techniques used in EuAsiaN-ROOT.
“We are exploring how different levels of deadwood retention after windthrow events affect soil moisture, microbial communities, and the overall recovery of forest ecosystems,” explains Pavlína Pancová Šimková and continued: “By comparing areas with full removal, partial retention, or no intervention, we can track how roots and soil fungi respond to disturbance—and how they influence nutrient cycling and carbon dynamics in the years following. This gives us real data to support sustainable decision-making in forestry.”
The long-term monitoring plots provide vital insights into how above-ground management decisions directly influence below-ground biodiversity and function. The collaboration offers a unique opportunity to bridge fundamental science with operational forest management.
Together, these efforts are expected to lead to innovative, evidence-based strategies for sustainable forestry and climate adaptation, particularly through the integration of mycorrhizal knowledge and deadwood-based habitat design into reforestation planning.
EuAsiaN-ROOT unites experts in root ecology, microbiology, soil chemistry, and forest pathology. By creating a harmonised research platform, the project enables systematic comparisons across tropical, temperate, and continental forests, producing the first unified baseline for belowground forest biodiversity and resilience across Eurasia.
Contacts for more information: prof. Douglas Lawrence Godbold, PhD., +420 545 134 528, douglas.godbold@mendelu.cz Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, LDF MENDELU; Ing. Pavlína Pancová Šimková, Ph.D., +420 545 134 065, pavlina.simkova@mendelu.cz Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, LDF MENDELU
The EuAsiaN-ROOT has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101182734.It involves Mendel University in Brno, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Ente Parco Regionale Campo dei Fiori, Kasetsart University, U.U. Uspanov Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Mongolian Life Science University, and the National University of Mongolia. With its interdisciplinary approach and global perspective, the project is set to redefine how we study and protect the world’s forests.
The project Eurasian Network for Collaborative Research on Tree-Root-Mycorrhizal-Pathogen Interactions in Forest Soils (EuAsiaN-ROOT) receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.